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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rule — a law
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mate — a partner
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bore — to tire
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rule — government
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mate — to breed
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com